Aeroplane construction



Jan. 26, 1932. LA VERNE F, WERTZ 1,842,637

AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION Filed June 20. 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fmpd. Y

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Jan. 26, 1932. LA VERNE F, WERTZ 1,842,637

AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION Filed June 20, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Futur-EEE 'a' Jan., 26, 1932. LA VERNE F, WERTZ 1,842,637

AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION jan. 26, 1932. LA VERNE F. wERTz AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION Filed June 20, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ,1.1 14,112 unfsvni v5. 55.1, HILL. 21.3.. sniff! .f1 bi1-51E.: .T X. ultii 1,2 e

Patented Jan. 26, 1932 inner LA 'VERNE FRANKLIN WERTZ, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION Application led June 2G,

illy invention relates to improvements in aeroplane construction, and the object oi my invention is to devise an improved upper wing supporting and actuatiiig structure :tor

q the type of machine illustrated and described in my United States Letters Patent #1,748,262.

In this type oi machine l furnish a rigid lower wing); followingy general monoplane practice and also a super-posed upper wing; which can be raised or lowered by the pilot in flying, whereby the aeroplane can be-converted from a monoplane into a biplano or viceversa. i The object ol the present invention is to provide a mechanism whereby the angle ot' incidence ot the upper plane may be altered when the machine is being used `as a biplane so that the changing air pressure due to the alteration in the angle ot incidence will torce the top plane downwardly into a position lying upon the upper i'ace of the lower plane whereby the aeroplane is converted into a mouoplane.

.A further object ot my invention is to provide a mechanism whereby the sivinpiiigf,l movement of the struts which support the upper plane are synelironized` and a further object ot' my invention is to `tiunish a locking' 3U mechanism for retaining* the upper wine in its adjusted position.

My invention consists ot' an aeroplane coin structed and arranged all as hereinafter more particularly described and ilh'lstrated in the accompanying' drawings, in which Figure l is a lront elevational View ot my aeroplane showingit in biplane torni.

Figure i), is a similar view to Figure l sh owing .my aeroplane in monoplane form.

Figure il is an onlin-eed vertical cross sectional View through the wings in biplane i'orm. V

Figure l is a similar view to Figure 3 shor' b3 ini;r the angle ol" incidence oit the upper plane altered.

Figure 5 is a similar View to Figures El and -Llshowin the wings together in monoplane form.

Figure G a vertical lone'itudinal sectional 1930. Serial No. 462,567.

view of a fragmentary portion of the wings being taken through the line (5w-G Fig ure il.

Figure 7 is a similar view taken through the line 7-7 F igure 5.

Figure 8 is] also a similar view taken 55 through the line 8-8 Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a perspective view ont' a trae# mentary portion of the lower wing;` showing the strut receiving slots.

Figure 10 is an enlarged perspective view 60 of a `fragmentary portion of the lower end oi one of the struts together with its connection to the lower plane.

Figure 11 is an enlarged cross sectional view through a portion of the upper end of one of the struts together with its connection to the upper plane, and v Figure 12 is a perspective view of one ol the worm members contained within the upper plane and by means oil' which the swine`- 70 ing movement of the struts is synchronized.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views in the drawings. i

The aeroplane as illust-rated in Figures l and 2 follows conventional practice in regard to the lower wing l fuselage 2, under-carriage 3 and tail 4, and apart altogether from my movable wing, can be flown as a monoplane.

The movable wing` 5 is supported upon `a plurality of struts which extend from the upper face of the lower wing; and whereby such movable wine' is supported in the conventional fashion when the machine is being` flown as a biplane. v

The iorwardstiuits 6 as illustrated in Fie'- ures 3 and 4l are of inverted V form and the rear struts 7 are of standard i'orm, the 'forward struts bein o' so Atermed forstren 51th and rigidity. The lower ends of the struts are B formed with pivotal connections 8 secured to the lower plane whereby the struts are nermitted an inward sivinrinor movement as indicated in dotted lines in Figure l. The lower ends of the struts Z are also pivotally connected. to the lower plane but as such rear struts are permitted a vertical .movement when raised in `addition to thel swinging` movement in being raised and lowered. l vfurnish the lower ends of such struts with the li l) movement in respect to tlielower plane 1` whereby the angle of incidence of the upper plane is altered as shown in Figures and 4. For controlling the movement of the pins 10 within the slotted members 11 and consequently the vertical movements of the struts 7, I furnish in the lower plane 1, a plural-ity of inclinedcam `members 13 in the vicinity of the lower ends of the struts 7. These cam members 13 are mounted upon slidable rods 14, suchV rods being connected to a pair of integ-ral swingably mounted arms 15 which are actua-ted through the medium of an actuating rod 16 which is under the control of the pilot. When the actuating rod 16, as `illustrated in 'Figure 6 is moved downwardly `the arms 15 have `movement in a clockwise. kdirect-ion thus pulling the rods 14 and moving the inclined cams 13 inwardly for .the'purpose as shall be hereinafter explained. `the vicinity-ofthe -lower` face of the u-pper plane 5, I furnish two pair `of .worms 17 and 18,-one pair extending across the forward portion of the wing and connected to their inner Aends by a worm screw 19, and the other pair extending across the rear portion of the wings and connected by a worm screw :20. Extending between vthe wor-m screws19 and 20 I furnish a. rotatably mounted `sha-ft 2'1 carryingupon its end-s worm -gears 22 and 23 which meshwith vthe worm sere-ws 1 9 .and 20. The wormsare preferably formed of tubing having a spiral slot, and the slots in lthe-tubes of each pair convolute in opposite directions as `illustrated in Figure .6. The Slow-er face of the upper plane 5 is formed with suit-able slots 24 underneath the pairs of worms. Iand the upperends of the struts are furnished with pivotally vmounted members 25 which extend through the slots 24 and also `through the spiral slots in the worm tubing. 1

rfIhe inner or the -upper'ends of the members 25 are formed with enlarged portions26 which are contained within the tubes. l'hen the upper wing "5 isbeing `raised or lowered the struts swinging upwardly er downwardly as the-case maybe, the' worms all rotate under the motion of the members25 along the slots iin the respective worms.

As the pair of worms 17 and'pairof worms 18 vare connected together in their movement through the medium ofthe shaft 21 carrying the gears 22 and 23 which mesh with the worm screws 19 and 20, it willl be seen that the struts "the plane 5 is in the .uppermost position thus providing a smooth face upon the lower planeur- Y For locking' Athe planes together when the plane is resting upon the plane 1 I furnish a pair of cam members 29 which arei con- .tained within such lower `plane .and project upwardly therefrom through slots' 30. These .locsnirr members 29k are mounted upon .sliding rods 31 which-are connected-to a pair of pivotally mounted varms 32 actuated through the medium of a rod 33 by the pilot. The lower face ofthe upper plane 4isfurnished with a pair of angularly vinclined pockets 34 into which the locking' members 29 are receivedand in the vicinity yof the' entrance to the pockets 34 I furnish' rollers 35 which engage the lower faces ofthe looking members 29 when they are about to enter the pockets. r

I/Vhen `the wings .are vapart .the locking members 29 ,are drawn towards onea-nother through the :mediumof the rods 31 andthe clocliwiseswingable movementof-the arm ld2 under the influence of the rod83. Vhen the n upper plane is beine` lowered on to the lower plane in `converting themachine frorna biplane into a monoplane, the ylocking members 29 are moved outwardly under theinfluence of an anti-clockwise .movement .of the arms 32 and their lower faces engage and pass over the rollers which are spaced away from the lower face of the upper plane in .the vicinity of the pockets. As the planes approach one another the locking members 29 are moved to a further degree entering the pockets S0 until the lplanes are tightl-yftogether and the locking members 29 inthe position illustrated in Figure 7. c

The operation of my device is-as follows@ As my machine is designed'to combine the advantages of both a biplane and monoplane,

that is the comparatively.slow takingY off and landing Vspeed ofthe biplane and the fast flying speed of the monoplane, my machinewill be Ain the hiplane form as illustrated in Fig-- ure-'1 when taking off. lVhen the machine is in the air and has reached a suicient altitude the pilot can then lower -the'top wing to convert the machine into a monop'lane for faster dying. In order to do this the cam members 13 vwhich extend between the members 9 upon the @lo-wer ends of the struts 7 and bear upon the pins 10 are moved lout'- wardly throughV an anti-clockwise moveand engaging f the worm members'.

An aeroplane of'the character described comprising v.a flower plane, :an upper .fplane movable from a superposed position uponthe lower plane :to La `position in .spaced relation ther-Veto,y a plurality `of fstruts swiugable :from n; substantially vvertical ipositionto :a substantially horizontal position Amounted upon the Ylow-.er1p1-ane Landsupporting the upper plane, slots formed n'the lower `tace ofthe upper plane, IWorm members .contained withint'he upper .plane adjacentto :the slot-s, connecting members extending fromxthe luppersends of the struts through :the slots and engagingthe 'worm members,1the'upper face of .the 4flower :plane having slots formed thereinfor :the re- :ception of 1the;strutswhen ain the horizontal position, and means incorporated in the struts for altering' the angle :of incidence of ftheuppervplane.

8.v Ansaeroplane ofthe character described r`eomprisinp; fa lower plane,.ain Vupper plane 'movable from .a Asuperposed position upon the lower plane to a position in :spaced rela? tion thereto, a plurality ofstruts swingable :from :a: substantially vertical position to a substantially horizontal position mounted vupon the Alower plane :and supporting ,theiup per plane, verticlslotted membersextendfi-ng trom .the lower piane, pins carried 'upon :the lower ends ofthe .rear struts projecting into the slots .amd movable thereelong., Jand movfa'ble fmeans carried .upon .the flower, planeand engagingfthe pins .-toicontrol their :movement- 1 in the slots. f

9.V A11aeroplanel of the character described comprising a lower plane, 'an upper plane movable from aisuperposed positionupon'the Y `lower :plane to a lposition in lspaced `relation thereto, a ,plurality of struts swingable from asubstantially vertical position to a substantially fhoriz-ontal position ymounted upon the lower plane .and supporting the upper plane,

vertical slotted members `extendingfrom the lower plane, pins carried upon the lower ends of the rear struts projecting into :the slots and carried 'by the lower lplane andengaging the pins tocontrol their movement in the slots. LA VERNE FRANKLIN ERTZ.. 

